Category: Know These Truths

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The Proof is in the Living

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus, w4d2

Read James 1:22-25 and SOAP: James 1:22

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

James 1:22-25

Our works do not save us, but they do bear witness to our salvation through Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

If you know me or have followed my posts, you most likely know that 2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of my key life verses.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

The truth of Paul’s words rocked my world many years ago and continues to push me to live as a new creation and not the old. For, as Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus, we have been created in God’s image–in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. What a beautiful reminder of the need and reason for believers to abide in Jesus (the Way, Truth, and Life) – for how can we be like one we do not know or spend time with?

Today’s journal entry in Abiding in Jesus, by Love God Greatly, explains it like this: “When we become Christians, we are given a new nature, a new birth. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He is the sap flowing from the vine into the branches, producing a godly character. That is why when we abide in Christ, we will bear fruit.”

James reminds us that becoming a Christian is only the beginning. The real proof of a person having been born again is that he or she will now ‘live out the message.'”

Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy redemption,
Didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master,
My heart shall be Thy throne,
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.

Living for Jesus, Author: Thomas O. Chisholm (1917)

Of course, “Living for Jesus” comes with challenges that we all struggle with. As the Love God Greatly entry points out, “The walk of a Christian is not an uninterrupted series of victories over sin. We often stumble and fail. Sometimes it looks like we are going two steps forward and three steps backward. But if we belong to Jesus, we will have victories over sin again and again. We will be different from the way we used to be. We will steadily grow in holiness and godly character. We have a living faith, not a dead, fake one. We are a living branch, abiding in the Vine and producing good fruit. The Father will make sure His children walk in His ways, to prove that we really belong to Him. We know these works do not justify us, but they are the proof of our having been made new in Jesus.”

Friends, my prayer is that God will help us to be more than spectators or listeners of His Word. May we have the courage and faithful commitment to abide in Jesus, the Living Word, and to live it out every day. May we be always mindful that while our works do not save us, they glorify God in Heaven and give evidence that we have been made new through Jesus Christ. To God be all the glory, praise, and honor. Amen and Amen!

The More We Know

If you do not know Jesus, I invite you to read the truths about who He is and what He has done for you.

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Abide in Me

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus,w2d1

Read: John 15:3-4; SOAP: John 15:4

(note: clicking the link for the above verse will allow you to read from whatever version you prefer)

3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

John 15:3-4 NLT

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:3-4 KJV

Last week’s journey centered largely on the teaching of Jesus, that He is the vine, God is the gardener, and His disciples are the branches. He told the disciples that, as the Gardener, God will prune the branches that bear fruit so that they will produce even more fruit. Picking up today in verses three and four, we find Jesus encouraging His disciples that they are already clean because of the Word, or the Gospel message, he has spoken to them.

However, our focus is on the command that follows, what it means, what it doesn’t mean, and why it is important. Read it out loud: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

  • What it means: We (the branches)are dependent on Christ (the life-giving vine).
  • What it doesn’t mean: The concept here is not about losing your salvation. Salvation is the free and eternal gift of God’s grace earned not by works but through faith in Jesus Christ. If you doubt this or have any questions, I urge you to visit https://www.gotquestions.org/vine-and-branches.html
  • Why it’s important to abide (remain) in Jesus: Jesus makes it clear to the disciples that they are to bear fruit, but that they cannot do that apart from Him. His emphasis here is that we need to stay intimately (closely, daily, nothing between us and Him) connected to Him in order to be spiritually healthy and bear fruit.

Friends, if we want to be healthy, fruit-bearing followers of Christ who spread light in/to the world around us, we must stay close to Jesus, our life-giving vine. In Him we find our strength, we find peace, and we bear fruit. Apart from Him, we will surely wither and fade.

Do you want to be a light for Him? Read His Word and pray daily. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will reflect Him.

Do you want your conversations to be encouraging and full of grace and truth rather than spewing hate, gossip, or lies? Spend time with Him in His Word. It truly has the power to change the way we think and speak, not to mention how we love others.

Do you want to love Him more and follow Him faithfully? Find the passages of His love poured out for you, His boundless grace, and His mercies that are new every morning are game changers.

James wrote it like this: Come close to God, and God will come close to you (James 5:8). I have both tested and tasted the truth of this statement, and I assure you it is a blessing beyond compare to experience the nearness of our God, and the relationship which blossoms from it.

Reflection: What are some areas in your life that may need “cleaning” or renewal through God’s Word?

The More We Know

“When new branches start to grow, they often droop low to the ground. As they touch the soil, dirt and mud begin to cling to them, which can stop them from growing strong and bearing good fruit. To help them thrive, a gardener has to gently lift the branches, carefully washing away the dirt, so they can reach their full potential and produce good fruit.

For us, we experience a similar “cleaning,” through God’s Word. As we read and renew our minds with Scripture, God shows us areas in our lives where things need to change. It may be areas where sin has muddled our lives and hindered us from receiving the nourishment we need to grow. But hope is not lost. Through God’s Word, it’s as if He lovingly lifts, cleanses, and restores us, allowing us to grow and bear the good fruit we were created to produce.”

Abiding in Jesus/p67

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Fellowship with God

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d5

Read and SOAP: 1 John 1:6

If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.

1 John 1:6

The following post is from the LGG Journal, Abiding in Jesus, p. 57, and can also be found on the Love God Greatly app/w1d5. If you are not familiar with Love God Greatly, visit https://lovegodgreatly.com/about/ . The ministry is filled with women who love the Lord and are working hard “to help EVERY WOMAN in EVERY NATION have access to God’s Word in THEIR LANGUAGE.” God is using the ministry to change the lives of women here and around the world, and He has used it to change me from the insideout. 🦋

Walking in the light through confession

“Abiding in Christ means choosing to walk in His light, live transparently before Him, and allow His truth to shape every part of our lives. But sin disrupts this fellowship and creates a distance between us and God.

That is why we need to make confessing our sins to God a regular habit in our lives. Confession is a powerful, freeing practice that keeps our hearts free and aligned with God. It isn’t simply about listing our wrongs and moving forward without any change. It’s about bringing all our sins before Him because we are truly sorry, surrendering fully to His grace, and walking in humility and obedience.

As we confess, Jesus steps into our brokenness and heals us. He reminds us that His love and grace are greater than our failures.

This ongoing process of confession and cleansing is essential to bearing fruit. Just as a vine requires clean, unhindered pathways to deliver nutrients to its branches, we need to keep the pathway to Christ open. When we confess, we allow the Holy Spirit to flush out all the accumulated dirt. This is where true fruit is born, not from our own efforts but from a heart fully surrendered to Him.

Abiding in Christ is an act of trust. Even when we fall short, He is faithful to restore us. Confession isn’t a burden but an invitation to have our guilt removed, to walk more intimately with Jesus, and let His love work deeply in our hearts.

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your mercy. Help me to stay close to You by confessing my sins to You and allowing Your grace to cleanse and restore me. Amen.”

The More We Know

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, or if you have questions about how to know Him and receive His free gift, please click on “Know These Truths.”

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Work It Out

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d3

Read and SOAP: Philippians 2:12-13

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, 13 for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.

Philiipians 2:12-13

I remember the first time I really read this verse, and trust me when I say that to fully understand it, you need to know what came before the “so then.” Without a clear understanding, I fell prey to questioning the statement and meaning of “working out your salvation.” I am a firm believer that salvation is not by works but is a free gift from God to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I quickly read it again and checked various translations and eventually sought the help from my Pastor at the time to understand what Paul meant by “working out your salvation.” Thus was born my understanding that phrases like “so then” serve as a cue for the reader or listener to look back for the broader context and a better understanding of what is to follow.

In this case, what came before was a beautifully written character description of Christ, preceded by clear instructions of “how not to behave.”

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though He was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, He gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, 8He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

You see, friends, Paul wasn’t teaching us to work for our salvation but to live out our salvation, or as the NLT translates it: “To show the results of our salvation.” In other words to exercise the salvation we have received through Christ. This means to practice loving others as Christ loves us. It means doing good works that God has given us to do, sharing the Gospel, being kind and patient, humble, and not selfish but selfless, It means loving God and others more than we love ourselves. It means not looking out just for “our own interests but for the interests of others, too.” Ultimately, it means laying down everything for the will of the Father. Why? Because when we do – we reflect Jesus to the world around us and God receives the glory!

While we are called to work out (live out) our salvation, it doesn’t mean it will come easy. As today’s LGG journal entry points out: “the Bible makes it clear that the only reason we are able to do so is because God makes it possible. ~ God is both the source and sustainer of our faith. As we remain in Him, He works through us, producing fruit that will last, bringing glory to Him and blessings to others.”

Staying connected to Jesus, the Vine, and allowing God to transform you is what it means to abide.

Abiding in Jesus/p49
The More We Know

For more insight see the LGG Blog Post

Posted in Abide, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

A Healthy and Beautiful Garden

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding In Jesus, Bearing Fruit that Lasts, w1d1

Read and SOAP: John 15:1

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.”

John 15:1

I love this verse and the lesson that follows, from Jesus to His disciples! Jesus declares that He is the vine1 and that His Father, God, is the gardener2. What better sources and hope for life could we have?

Jesus, the source of eternal life, a vine that will never die or wither away, is the One who gives us life. We have been made new through Him (2 Cor 5:17). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are connected to the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, and interconnected to other believers through Him. It is through Christ that we grow and mature spiritually, becoming more like Him and less like the world around us.

I grew up in a family of gardeners, but trust me when I say – I did not inherit their gift for producing the fresh corn, beans, and other vegetables that we enjoyed throughout the year. I did, however, learn to appreciate their gift of gardening, as well as their love and willingness to invest so much time and effort into their gardens throughout the years. While I didn’t realize it until much later in life, from planting to harvesting and everything in between, it was a labor of time, accompanied by body aches, and I’m certain tears and fears in the times of drought or damaging storms.

These thoughts came rushing through my mind this morning as I read Jesus’ declaration, “My Father is the gardener.” The love and labor of time that God, the Gardener, has spent on me boggles my mind. The grief and concerns I have caused Him through the years make my heart ache. And when I consider the fruit that His tender hand and patient heart have been able to yield from this branch, it leaves me in awe and wonder at His grace and compassion. The fact and evidence that He allows me to stay attached to Jesus, the true vine, is a testament to God’s truth and faithfulness, and something for which I will forever be grateful.

The role of a gardener ranges from creating, cultivating, and maintaining the garden. This includes, but is not limited to, planting, weeding, pruning, and pest control, while also ensuring the attractiveness and health of the plants.

Friends, there are many things and people that vie for our attention and allegiance in this life. They promise everything from a better life, greater wealth, happiness, and more. Don’t be fooled! Only Jesus, the “True Vine,” (and there is only one), can give you life. Only through Him is there true and abundant life, a life of rich joy, a life where all of your needs are supplied from His glorious riches. Only Jesus can take away all your sins and deliver you from death into eternal life. – I encourage to cling to the true and living vine, Jesus, and to let your Father, our Gardener, shield you from the “pests” of this world vying for your attention. In doing so we will be a healthy, beautiful garden filled with light that attracts the world to Him.

The More We Know

The necessity of a good/true vine includes: Healthy growth, life, and renewal. Its ability to grow and spread is a powerful metaphor for spiritual development, and the continual process of becoming represents the vine’s potential for a rich and fruitful life. Specifically, in this context, it is used to symbolize the relationship between believers and God. Staying connected to the Vine (Jesus) is essential for bearing fruit and experiencing spiritual abundance.3

For more insight into today’s journey, click the button below

the LGG Blog

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, For Such A Time As This, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Delivered by Grace

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From the journal of the LGG Study, For Such A Time As This, p177/w6d2

Read: Esther 8:1-17 and SOAP: Proverbs 28:20

A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,
but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:20

What an appropriate picture Proverbs 28:20 gives us of Esther’s story. Esther and Mordecai acted faithfully even in the face of certain death and the annihilation of their people. Haman, however, sought the riches of fame and fortune at all costs. I can’t help but pray this prayer found on page 174 of this session’s journal: “Give me the courage to live for You and invest my life for Your glory not mine.”

Let’s recap our story thus far and trace the fingerprints of God: Queen Vashti was dethroned in a fit of the King’s anger … A search was set in motion throughout all the kingdom’s provinces for a new queen … Esther. a Jew lived within the radius of the search and fit all of the specifications, and won the favor of the King … Mordecai, Esther’s relative who raised her, sat in the King’s gate and overheard not only a threat against the King’s life but word of the edict to annihilate the Jews … Mordecai sent word through Esther of the threat against the King. The King’s life was spared and Mordecai was eventually honored for this … Mordecai also made Esther aware of the edict which led to a time of prayer and fasting by the Jews and courage for Esther to approach the King and seek his help for her people … Esther’s courage and wisdom are testimonies to God’s guidance, and clearly answers to the prayer and fasting.

The deliverance we read about in today’s portion of the story could only come from the hand of God! The wicked Haman, who sought wealth and fame through his conniving ways with the King and a treacherous plot against Mordecai and the Jews, was rightfully put to death; and now his estate was handed over to Esther, and the King’s signet ring, once given to Haman for the edict against the Jews, was now given to Mordecai. So while the edict could not be rescinded, the King pointed out that they could write a decree according to what they believed to be right for the Jews. Oh, the creative plans and power of our God. While His name is not on the pages we’ve read, surely His fingerprints are everywhere in Esther’s story.

I was caught up in the miraculous deliverance of the Jews, and in the story of their rejoicing and celebrations, I couldn’t help but think of our own cause for rejoicing and celebration. From the beginning of time, in the garden, the cost of our sin has been death.1 This decree was not rescinded, for Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 that “wages of sin is death…2” Yet, just as God did for the Jews in Esther’s story, He made a way for us where there seemed to be no way. John’s declaration that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life is a testament of that Way3. For, as John went on to explain, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17). Paul later attests to this in his letter to the Church in Rome, when he wrote, “There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). – To which my heart resounds with the chorus … “Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!“

Father, thank You – that as Your people rejoiced in the day of Esther for Your miraculous deliverance from death to life, we, too, can rejoice. For Your marvelous, matchless grace has been poured upon our lives! We celebrate Your loving kindness that has come to us because of Jesus Christ! Oh, what a joy to know Your grace! – May we demonstrate this in all we do and say. In the name of Jesus – Amen!

The More We Know

From today’s journal entry by LGG, p177

Mordecai’s story is a beautiful example of faithfulness. He didn’t seek honor or wealth for himself. Yet, God raised him to a position of great influence and entrusted him with the responsibility to save his people. .. In contrast, Haman’s pursuit of wealth, status, and honor led to his downfall. …Proverbs 28:20 reminds us that while society often praises the rich and powerful, God values faithfulness above all. The rewards of faithfulness may not always be immediate or visible. Still, they are eternal and far greater than any earthly wealth.

In a world that often pushes us to chase after success, recognition, and material wealth, we are called to something different. Instead of striving for more, let’s strive to be faithful – faithful to God, faithful to the calling He has placed on our lives, and faithful to the people He has placed around us.

Sweet friend, are you feeling overlooked or tempted to measure your worth by the world’s standards? Take heart – God sees your faithfulness, even in the small, unseen moments. And in His perfect time, He will bless you in ways that far exceed anything this world can offer.

  1. Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 ↩︎
  2. For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ↩︎
  3. Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, For Such A Time As This, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Blessing of Promise and Hope

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From the LGG Journal, For Such A Time As This, p148

Read: Esther 6:12-14 and SOAP: Genesis 12:3.

I Will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Genesis 12:3

What joy and encouragement it is to know that we share in God’s blessing of promise and hope that He spoke to Abram so long ago. In all the chaos, pain, and suffering of this world may we never lose sight of the One to whom we belong. May we rest in the truth that He is faithful and trustworthy, and that His love never fails. And may we live lives that make these truths known to others – that they may also share in the blessing God spoke to Abraham.

Do you know the God of Abraham? Check out the truths that can make you part of the family of God. It would be my greatest pleasure to introduce you to Him. Click on the link below.
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Be An Encourager

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“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness,” 

Hebrews 3:13

The graphic attached to today’s post is a gem I saw online recently. It spoke to me, so I copied and pasted it into my photos. God nudged me, first with a reminder to let my words lift up and not tear down. Then came the reminder of Hebrews 3:13, where the author teaches his readers (us) to encourage one another daily so that we don’t become “hardened” by sin’s deceitfulness.

Encouragement is of great importance to our faith.

Encouragement is of great importance to our faith. We live in a world infested with sin and a myriad of problems and heartaches. It is easy to succumb to or be hardened by the sins we see around us because they have become acceptable, even among those in the church. It is also easy to get caught up in critiquing the world’s problems and/or allowing the troubles of this life to overcome us and distract our focus from God and the life He has called us to live. It is easy to give way to despair, fear, and worry.

Jesus knew there would be troubles for His disciples; He knew they would be hated, mocked, and persecuted, and He told them so, but He followed the troubling news with encouraging words, or as gotquestions.org states: “Jesus’ grim forecast was tempered with cheer; He followed His prediction of trouble with a sparkling word of encouragement: He has overcome the world. Jesus is greater than any trouble we face.””1

One of my favorite passages of encouragement that Jesus spoke to His disciples comes right after He told them, “In this world you will have trouble. But…” He followed that statement with, “…take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). Undoubtedly, knowing they would be alarmed by the warnings of trouble He delivered to them, He was quick and kind to offer them loving encouragement and hope. They could not yet see the whole reality of the problems they would know, nor could they entirely understand His words of encouragement and the hope they were meant to give, but – they trusted Jesus, and I would imagine they found comfort in His words.

What about you? Do you know Jesus2? Do you trust in His promise of encouragement that “He has overcome the world”? Are troubles surrounding you or lurking at your door? “Take heart!” Rest in the words of the Savior: “I have overcome the world.” There is no problem that is too big and no mountain that is too tall that He cannot overcome. Is there someone you know who is struggling? Maybe it’s a particular sin, or perhaps it’s loneliness, or a need… maybe it’s a relationship or a health crisis … or maybe it’s with salvation … whatever it is, be an encourager – “the world has plenty of critics already.”

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

The Message/A paraphrase of Colossians 4:5-6
Prayer of Response:

Father, thank You for the encouragement we find in Your Word and for Your Son, who faithfully and lovingly encouraged His disciples. Let my words encourage and lift up. As Paul wrote, may they be always full of grace and seasoned with salt. – Amen 💜

Thd More We Know
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Finding Rest in God

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“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

~Saint Augustine

How true these words of Saint Augustine are. They certainly ring true in my heart and mind. Raised in a Christian home, taken three times weekly to church, and saved at a young age, I really do not know a time when I didn’t know of God, who He was, and what He had done—though I do confess knowing more of Jesus than of God. – I knew God created the world, split the Red Sea, gave the ten commandments to Moses, and loved the world so much that He sent His Son to save whosoever believed in Him. What I didn’t understand until much later in life was that He made us for Himself.1 It was much later in life that I learned that He created, desired, and sought out His people because He wanted to have a relationship with them.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” 

“All things were created by him and for him.” 

Revelation 4:11 / Colossians 1:16 

From the beginning to the end of Scripture, we read how God made Himself known to His people, how He cared for them, taught them, led them, loved them, and poured out His grace, forgiving them of all their sins. However, until I understood this and removed myself from the hamster wheel of trying to please and trust God in my own strength, I was indeed – restless. The restlessness came from always striving to please Him, and when I failed, there was the unending feat of trying to make it up to Him. “Saved by grace” is not just a winsome phrase but a never-ending characteristic of God and of His love in action. It is a love meant to change us from the inside-out, to make us new creations in Christ🦋 – so that we can live and walk in fellowship with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • Rest in His love … for there is no greater love than giving your own son to die for the sins of the world.
    • For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. John 3:16-17
  • Rest in His Grace … grace that is greater than all our sin
    • 20 Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 5:20-21
  • Rest in His Strength … the strength that raised Him from death to life.
    • I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Eph. 1:19-20
  • Rest in His promises … for has He not kept all of His promises to this day?
    • For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 2 Cor. 1:20
  • Rest in His Greatness … knowing that He alone has the power and words of eternal life.
    • “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68

Friends, “‘To whom shall we go?’ wasn’t written by John as a question of despair—it’s a declaration of devotion. Once you’ve tasted living water, nothing else satisfies. Once you’ve heard the voice that awakens your soul, all others fade. The deepest worship may simply be this: staying when it would be easier to walk away.2“

Prayer of Response To God’s Word

Father, what a blessing it was the day I began to understand that You created me for Your pleasure. I wasn’t just one of many that You created – I am known by You, created to be loved by You and to love You. I was created with a purpose and am meant to be dependent on You – and called to find rest in You. Oh, what a good good Creator and Father You are. Remind me daily to cease striving and find rest in You alone. – To You be the glory and honor, amen 💜

The More We Know
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Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

It’s About God, Not Us

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Based on the LGG study, Our God Who Pursues, w2d4/p79

Jonah 3:5
The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

Let’s recap what led up to the people’s repentance. Jonah was told to go, instead he ran the other way and ended up in the belly of a great fish, rescued by God and now restored to be told, once again, “Go to Nineveh and proclaim the message of the LORD.” Jonah then went throughout the city – “announcing, ‘At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!’”

The following is another wonderful commentary by the team off Love God Greatly about the adventures of Jonah in the third chapter.


INTO THE TEXT
How many times have you said or thought of someone you know, “They’ll never change. What’s the point?” It can be exhausting to hope for something different in a person when they’ve never shown any sign of a desire to change. Jonah felt this strongly when he finally made it to Nineveh.


Even though Jonah just had this incredible experience of salvation from God, we see that his attitude toward the people of Nineveh hadn’t changed at all. We read in verse four that Jonah proclaimed a message of repentance to the Ninevhites. In Hebrew, the message was only five words. As we’ll see tomorrow, Jonah secretly hoped that God would not be merciful with this wicked nation.


Here’s the thing. When we proclaim the gospel, it is not about us. It’s not about how eloquent, winsome, or persuasive we can be. It’s not about how long our message is. It’s about God and the Holy Spirit’s movement in a person’s heart. God can use anyone and any moment to open a person’s eyes to the truth of the gospel. After all, Jonah’s message was quite short. Yet, God, in His kindness, still chose to use Jonah’s words to transform the entire city.


In Jonah’s eyes, there was absolutely no hope or no reason to expect the Ninevites to change, but God is greater. No one is ever too far gone. As Jonah just experienced, God can rescue anyone, even from the darkest depths.


God has called all believers to be part of His rescue mission through Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to proclaim the good news of the gospel to all those around us whether they are far or near to God.

PRAYER


God, thank you that you are a merciful God. You rescued me from sin, and you can rescue anyone, no matter what they’ve done. Help me to faithfully proclaim your gospel wherever I go. Amen.

The More We Know
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